Child-to-parent violence (CPV) is a type of violence that has received little attention
despite its increasing rates in Western countries. Several models state that substance abuse
constitutes a risk factor for aggressive behavior and that relationships among these variables
can be reciprocal. In this study, the temporal relationships among substance use and
physical and psychological CPV were examined. A sample of 981 adolescents (mean
age ¼ 15.22 years, SD ¼ 1.2 years) completed measures of substance use and CPV at three
time points (T1, T2, and T3) spaced 6 months apart. The results indicated that T1 levels of
substance use predicted an increase in psychological CPV at T2 and that T2 levels of
substance use predicted an increase in physical CPV at T3. Additionally, several mediational
mechanisms emerged between substance use at T1 and CPV at T3. Neither physical nor
psychological CPV predicted an increase in substance use at any time. Multiple comparisons
indicated that the predictive association between substance use and physical
aggression against parents was significant only in boys. These findings suggest that preventive
programs for CPV should include specific components for reducing substance use.
© 2015 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier